#BookReview: #BitterMoon Alexandra Sokoloff @AlexSokoloff

How happy am I to get back to my #HuntressBinge with #BitterMoon from Alexandra Sokoloff. A late starter to the series means I’ve had the pleasure of bingeing on this series over the last wee while and with just one left to read after this I’m going to be distraught to come to the end!

Thank you to #TBConFB and Alexandra for this copy to review.

What the blurb says:

FBI agent Matthew Roarke has been on leave, and in seclusion, since the capture of mass killer Cara Lindstrom—the victim turned avenger who preys on predators. Torn between devotion to the law and a powerful attraction to Cara and her lethal brand of justice, Roarke has retreated from both to search his soul. But Cara’s escape from custody and a police detective’s cryptic challenge soon draw him out of exile—into the California desert and deep into Cara’s past—to probe an unsolved murder that could be the key to her long and deadly career.

Following young Cara’s trail, Roarke uncovers a horrifying attack on a schoolgirl, the shocking suicide of another, and a human monster stalking Cara’s old high school. Separated by sixteen years, crossing paths in the present and past, Roarke and fourteen-year-old Cara must race to find and stop the sadistic sexual predator before more young women are brutalized.

My thoughts:

“Fear the wolf or be the wolf”

Bitter Moon tells Cara’s journey from childhood and the events that led her to the path she has followed. It is a highly charged and emotional read and I have to say that it blew me away. The blurb will tell you all you need to know about the story and while you could read this as a standalone I’d highly recommend reading the series in order to get the full flavour of characters and the underlying theme of the book.

Alexandra Sokoloff’s writing is so damn powerful, it evoked so many emotions in me as a reader; she manages to paint a picture that is both compelling and raw as she draws out the sense of place and person in each and every one of the novels so far. I picked up the book and immediately became immersed in the lives of both Cara and Roarke, I was completely lost in the narrative and didn’t want it to end.

This series is way more than a psychological thriller; it provides a social commentary what is going on in our world today; it highlights the deficiencies in our institutions whether through an insidious culture that permeates them or from a lack of resources which means evidence lies unprocessed and evil walks free. It speaks of cover-ups to protect those in “power” and of a culture where the female is nothing but a commodity. It highlights the rape culture which is sadly still endemic in 2017.

Through Cara, revenge is wreaked on those who have abused, raped, tortured and killed but it is more than a story of revenge. It is the true impact that rape and abuse have on the victims, it is dark, terrifying and oh so very real. For those who see this as encouraging further violence, I would strongly disagree; Alexandra Sokoloff has used her writing to highlight the very real impact that rape and abuse have on both those who fall victim and those who survive and live with the consequences. She is not for one minute advocating that we rise up and start killing off the bad guys but she uses the narrative to make us stop and think for just a little bit longer.

I applaud Alexandra Sokoloff for taking this topic and laying it bare; for focusing on the wrongs that sadly do still exist, for highlighting the institutional rape culture and the gaps in policing and the lack of political will to address the issues of abuse, rape, trafficking and prostitution.

I started reading this series as a psychological thriller/serial killer angle but it quickly became clear that it is more than that. It is a stark reminder of what is happening in every city and every town across the world. Our most vulnerable young people continue to be systematically abused and exploited and justice never seems to be done. This series raises questions that must be answered, issues that must be addressed and calls for justice to be served.

If you are looking to read a psychological thriller that is thought-provoking, intelligent and compelling then look no further than this series.

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Published by chapterinmylife

Hi my name is Sharon and I have an obsession - it's reading! My preferred genre is crime/thriller/police procedural with a penchant for Tartan Noir.
This is my blog for my book reviews and I would love to connect with other like minded readers and authors. I'm happy to feature interviews on my blog, review ARCs (kindle and hard copies)
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